Cultural Representations of Galician Identity: Contemporary Narratives of Santiago De Compostela and the Camiño De Santiago
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS OF GALICIAN IDENTITY: CONTEMPORARY NARRATIVES OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA AND THE CAMIÑO DE SANTIAGO By Nicole Amberlee Rasch A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Hispanic Cultural Studies – Doctor of Philosophy 2014 ABSTRACT CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS OF GALICIAN IDENTITY: CONTEMPORARY NARRATIVES OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA AND THE CAMIÑO DE SANTIAGO By Nicole Amberlee Rasch Today, Galicia is one of Spain’s most popular travel destinations. It is known internationally for the Camiño de Compostela – a world recognized city and pilgrimage site. Galician history, however, reveals extensive periods of political repression, social neglect and little capacity for economic sustainability. In the post-Franco period this has been changing, such that the socio- political challenges of the past have been giving way to a greater acceptance of and interest in Galicia’s language, culture and heritage. This is evidenced by the still-developing and politically sanctioned processes of “normalization,” reclamation and cultural reaffirmation. Since 1975 when the post-Franco period began, Galicia’s increasing representation and visibility on a global stage brings into question the impact of this notoriety and the consumer- based packaging of Galician culture to domestic and international audiences. Now, at the very historical juncture when Galicia is afforded a greater freedom of expression and cultural acceptance, the impact of increasing cultural commodification and tourist marketing may result in a loss of, or at best a distortion of the region’s rich cultural heritage. The packaging of Galician heritage and culture for mass consumption may play a role in the region’s potential cultural demise. This dissertation seeks to better understand the potential opportunity of “normalizing” and reclaiming Galician identity and culture in the context of globalization. To this purpose, I consider a selection of narrative representations of Galicia produced in recent decades. These texts and narratives allow consideration of representations of Galicia’s culture and identity and asks whether they may be supportive or harmful to the sustainability of Galician cultural heritage. The dissertation will explore how the selected narratives represent, construct, and/or appropriate Galician cultural heritage and language and whether the narratives of Galicia constructed by authors from within differ from those written by authors from without. The dissertation then investigates how the narratives differ and how might they be supportive or not of the region’s history and culture. Further, the roles these narratives play in disseminating a particular view of Galician cultural and heritage is explained as well as how the narratives of the state or of those with political influence in Galicia represent the region’s history and culture. By exploring both popular and hegemonic or “official” narrative representations of Galician identity, I hope to present a richer understanding than has been offered before of the current trends in representing and articulating Galician identity and culture. By considering a selection of the most resonant narratives inspired by Galicia since 1985, I shed light on the potential impact of these influential representations for this internationally recognized, highly unique and most important region of Spain. Copyright by NICOLE AMBERLEE RASCH 2014 For my father COLIN LEROY METCALF 1944 - 2005 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am most deeply indebted to Professor José Colmeiro for facilitating this dissertation. Without his inspiration and guidance the project would not have been possible. Also very deserving of acknowledgement is Professor Joseba Gabilondo for being tremendously helpful and supportive, as well as Professors Kristine Byron and Miguel Cabañas. I would also like to thank Professors Gabriela Pozzi and Diane Wright with whom I shared my first pilgrimage. I am appreciative as well to the Xunta de Galicia for granting me scholarships to study Galician culture and language in Santiago de Compostela and to the Instituto da lingua galega in Santiago and faculty and staff who accepted me as unha galega adoptiva: Malores Vilanova, Francisco Fernández Rei, Xurxo González and María Pereira among many others. A thank you as well to the Galician authors and scholars who have provided input and support such as Suso de Toro, John Rutherford, Ángeles de Irisarri, Kathleen March and Jonathan Dunne. Thank you to all my family, friends and colleagues who have supported my efforts: Marla Platt, Colin Metcalf II, AJ Metcalf, Heather Metcalf, Sara Finan, Susan King, Caryn Rasch, Jessica Carey, Patricia Alberts, Rebecca Bierschbach, Kiley Smith, Michelle Wood, Andrea Zimmer, Dave Drooger, Daphne Villatoro, Naomi Hyso, Taylor Smith, Gayle Scroggs, Janet Palmer, Carol Faber, Laura Fox and Rick Iadonisi among many others. A special thank you to a miña galega favorita, María Rama Pico, and all my dear friends in Santiago and Ribeira. I am very appreciative of my Mother – Marjorie Buchanan – for reading to me. A special thank you goes to my husband Jonathan and my children Dylan and Simeon for inspiring me with your imaginations and accompanying me along the way. Finally, this dissertation is dedicated to my Father, Colin Metcalf, who always supported my education and showed me the meaning of true happiness. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 The Story Of Galician Struggle In Historical Context…………………………………………….1 A Pilgrim in Galicia……………………………………………………………………………….4 Santiago de Compostela – its Meaning and Significance………………………………………....6 The Propagation of Ideology and Tradition……………………………………………………….7 Globalization, the Promotion of Culture and Changing Identities………………………………10 Contemporary Influences Upon Galician Identity……………………………………………….12 What is at Stake? ………………………………………………………………………………...16 Galician Culture and ‘Normalization’…………………………………………………………...18 The Story of Galician Struggle and a History of Violence………………………………………18 The Myth of Saint James and the Promotion of the Camiño ……………………………………19 Silence, Repression and Neglect ………………………………………………………………...26 Coming out of the Shadows ……………………………………………………………………..27 The Significance of Rosalía de Castro …………………………………………………………..28 Galician Nationalism and “Galeguismo” ………………………………………………………..29 Exile, Print Capitalism and the Survival of Galeguismo after the Spanish Civil War……..……29 A New Dark Age: Francoist Repression of Galician Language and Culture……………………32 The Regeneration of Galicia as ‘Autonomous Community’ ……………………………………36 Galicia as ‘Historical Nationality’ ………………………………………………………………37 The Rise of a Political Powerhouse: Manuel Fraga Iribarne ……………………………………38 Fraga in Galicia ………………………………………………………………………………….40 The ‘Normalizing’ of Galician Language and Culture ………………………………………….45 Normalization and the “Public Policy Vacuum” ………………………………………………..51 The Rise of Neoliberalism as Economic System ………………………………………………..53 Spain as Contributor in the Current Economic Crisis of the Eurozone …………………………54 Geographic Ambiguity, Migration, and National Identity ………………………………………55 What can Representations of Galician Culture Tell Us? ……………………………………..…58 Conceptual Framework and Organization ………………………………………………………60 Chapter 2 Approaches To Galicia From Within: Collective Memory And Identity Creation In Marica Campo And Suso De Toro………...…….64 Lieux de mémoire, Ghosts and a Shadow of Rosalía de Castro in Marica Campo ……….……..72 Lieux de mémoire and ghosts in Galicia ………..……………………………………………….91 Ghosts of the Past in Suso de Toro …………….………………………………………………..94 Conclusions: Galician Identity from Within …..……………………………………………….100 Chapter 3 The Camiño De Santiago As Global Narrative: Contemporary Trends In Ideology In Ángeles De Irisarri, John Rutherford And Paulo Coelho …………………………………………………………………………………………………..103 The Foundational Myth of Saint James ………………………………………………………..113 vii La estrella peregrina: Transnationality, Communitas and Self-Identity through Pilgrimage …115 Re-Imagining the Self: Pilgrimage and Identity as Performance in As frechas de ouro ………124 Treasure Hunting Ancient Wisdom in Modern Times in The Pilgrimage …………………….136 Conclusions: Self-exploration and Alternative Identity Creation in Globalization ……..……..141 Chapter 4 Official Narratives Of Urban Space And Celebration: Saint James’s Day Celebrations And The Cidade Da Cultura De Galicia …..………………..144 Spatialization, Historization, and Narratives …………………………………………………..150 The Narration of an Ideology …………………………………………………………………..152 The Casco Vello and Cidade da Cultura - a Reflection ………………………………………..154 The Saint James’ Day Celebration and the Commodification of Culture ……………………..168 Chapter 5 Audiovisual And Media Narratives: Bringing The Local To The Global In Ánton Reixa, Xavier Villaverde And Emilio Estévez....179 Inventing Galicia through the Audiovisual ……………………………………..……………...180 Representations of Galicia in Cinema ………………………………………………………….198 Resurgence of Historical Trauma in Trece campanadas ………………………………………199 The Reimagining of Galicia and the Camiño in The Way ……………………………………..203 Conclusions: Global Visions of Galicia ……………………………………………….……….211 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………..…213 APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………………………..217 WORKS CITED ..………………………….………………………………...………...………219 viii Chapter 1 The Story of Galician Struggle in Historical Context The narratives of the world are without number… the narrative is present at all times, in all places,